Justice Gathered In Black

The Shield from left to right; Reigns, Ambrose, and Rollins
Courtesy of the WWE

At the Elimination Chamber, The Shield (Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins) will be defending what they perceive as injustice versus the baby-face combination of Ryback, John Cena and Sheamus as their second official match up. Four months ago, The Shield has been showing up at random picking apart then-champion CM Punk's direct competition, and then spreading out to attack other faces within the WWE in an attempt to establish themselves and prove to be a dominant force, not unlike the Nexus. Many similarities are between the two heel factions, as the young Nexus developed from NXT, and so have the Shield. WWE has taken the NXT into a televised training ground for the up-and-comers, which is not a bad idea. It gives the viewer at home an insight on who the WWE is to groom, and bring to the main roster. However, back to the subject at hand, will The Shield be successful, and for how long?

With the Nexus, this was a rag-tag band of eight rookies who came within the WWE to wreck havoc with anyone in the locker room. Throughout their short two-month tenure, they were whittled down from disbanding, injuries, and dissection until CM Punk took over in December 2011. But I'm not talking about the New Nexus. I am making the comparisons between the Barrett-led Nexus to the Shield. Again, the original Nexus was short lived, and now with a four month and going status with The Shield, will this new faction from NXT work? Not many three-wrestler factions survived for a long run throughout the WWE, however there were a couple of mentions such as the nWo (with all of their incarnations), and Team Angle. The "three" in the stable is what leads to be the issue, however this may change with the new creative management shift. The Shield may be here to stay, maybe for a couple more months. Creative must have something for these guys to do, and they need to learn to effectively keep it switched up and compelling.

I always pitch for compelling storylines. It is what the WWE is lacking and has been for quite some time.

The Shield making their mark upon Rey Mysterio.
Courtesy of WWE

Ambrose, Reigns, and Rollins go into the Elimination Chamber against three of WWE's top faces as their second fight; the first was against Ryback, Kane, and Daniel Bryan. Cena and Sheamus, being former World champions, bring some legitimacy for a win to their team, and Ryback has been seething to get his hands on The Shield in a fair fight. And don't count out the rest of the WWE locker room who came out to keep the Shield in the ring while Cena, Sheamus, and Ryback took a page from the Shield and entered from all sides. Instead of a regular six-man tag team match, WWE should have booked it a Lumberjack match as the locker room emptied out and maintained some order. If, however, the Shield defeats their opposition clean, it will propel them as a legitimate threat and a serious force. I just don't see the WWE taking the Shield in that direction, not with the lumberjack match, and even with winning clean. Being a heel stable, I foresee a dirty win, if the Shield is given the win. With SuperCena being the "leader" of all this, I see the Five Moves of Doom to put away and bury the Shield. I see this, but I hope the Shield isn't given the ax so early in it's career.

Cena, Sheamus, and Ryback will be tested against the unity
of The Shield at the Elimination Chamber.
Courtesy of the WWE

Cena, Sheamus, and Ryback have nothing to lose if they don't pick up the win. Cena is already guaranteed a spot at Wrestlemania, and he is filling up his time while CM Punk slowly fades into another storyline of his own in order to face the Rock; Sheamus is filling in himself while he picks another opponent after Wrestlemania, and Ryback, well, he's stuck with the Shield until he ultimately wins, or is thrown into a mid-card championship with either Antonio Cesaro or Wade Barrett (whom are both busy, respectively). At this point in time, the WWE already has storylines lined up until Wrestlemania. The Shield will ultimately fall back and dissipate unless Creative gives them something to demolish and destroy every week. Unless...

Take the alliance with Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar. Heyman and Lesnar will lead the Shield to greatness.